Over the Edge An Edge & Bec Story
by WanderingWaves
Summary: I have always been a huge fan of the BWH couple Edge & Bec, and as any fan of them would, I hated the fact that they were never reunited in Season 2! This is to fill the gap when Edge returns and Bec isn't there.


**Chapter One**

Some days, everyone feels a little off. We feel like something's missing, or something is just not right. No one knows how or why, but something in the back of our minds just won't give us rest. Slowly but surely, just like the swell of the surf, it pushes its way to the surface until there is no way of denying that you're feeling pretty down. Simmo always says that when you are feeling bad, _use it._ Take it out on the waves. That was just what I was going to do. Take it out on the waves.

I pulled on my swim suit, still damp from this morning's training session with the Solar Blue team and Fly, and flew down the stairs. Board under one arm, and sandals in the other hand, I felt the sand under my feet; soft yet _firm_ and grainy. The sweltering Australian sun baked my face and the salty air blew my chocolate hair.

_Crash._ _Roll. Crash._ The swell came in sets of three, the third being the largest. I did as Simmo said. Thrusting myself into the cold blue ocean, I paddled mindlessly. Suddenly, all of my emotions swelled to the surface, and I surfed it out. Each wave seemed like a new road of endless opportunity, as I shredded my way up and down them with ease. I tried some free-style like Heath once taught me. I even tried an air reverse like Anna was so keen on perfecting.

By the time I trudged out of the water, my fingers were wrinkly, and my hair was a salty mess. I still didn't feel any better. It was the best I had ever surfed, but not a single shred of my pride would allow me to feel happy.

"Bec!" Fly ran down the beach towards me, kicking up sand. "You're back!"

"Yeah, hey." I smiled, a pathetic attempt to be enthusiastic. I had gone to the Gold Coast and spent the past week visiting Perri.

"Well? Did you have fun? How's Perri doing? Are she and Matt still together?"

"Yeah, yeah. It was lots of fun. Perri's great! Actually, Matt's down the Gold Coast on a scholarship to a Marine Biology school. I saw him too, they're both great!"

"Aw," she cocked her head to one side. "I'm glad they're so close to each other. Even though their plan to stay in Melbourne plan didn't work out."

I turned. "Yep. Me too."

"So, you busy?"

"Um," I turned to her, her green eyes were quivering with hope. I couldn't help but smile. "No, never to busy for you."

"Great! Did you want to see a movie tonight, or maybe just hang out?"

"Sure. Sounds fun. Bring Heath too! We could use some comic relief." I winked at her.

"Haha, see ya!" She ran down the beach.

I sighed and smiled. That girl was too sweet for her own good. Walking back up the beach, I tripped over my board, and flashed back to reality. That feeling was still there.

Chapter Two

It was Sunday, my favourite day of the week; no school, no training, just free time to surf and hang with friends. I threw open my bedroom door and plopped down on the floor, mobile in hand. _One New Message: Edge._ Clicking accept, my stomach was suddenly filled with butterflies. Since he won the Pro Circuit six months ago, we had talked on the phone almost every night. Long distance relationships did make things more romantic, but…I hadn't seen him for six months! His picture appeared in my mind; shaggy blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, tan, angular face and refined muscles hidden beneath a maroon shirt and black and white swim trunks. I heard his voice in my head, "_No, I'll miss some __**one**__ here, and I plan on coming back here a lot"._

There was a knock at the door. Fly peaked from behind it. "Hey," she smiled. "Just thought I'd come over and check in. I like living down the road from you; it's fun!" She sat down next to me.

All I could do was force a smile.

"You okay?"

"Not really…"

"What is it Bec? You can tell me."

Bec stared at the floor.

"Is it Joe? He seemed to be giving you a hard time at school yesterday."

"No, it's not Joe. I don't know I just…I want things to be back to normal. I mean, I want things to be back the way they were. I want to live at Solar Blue Surf Academy. I want to live with Anna, Perri, and Matt, Heath, Edge, and you! I want to wake up at 5:30 and feel the freezing water crush my lungs, and listen to Heath make bad jokes, and Matt and Edge compete for no reason…"

Fly sighed sympathetically.

"I just, I miss it."

Before I could even look up at her, she had her hand on my shoulder. "Bec, I know how you feel. I'm sure we all do. We live far away from each other. We're like family! Heck, when Simmo told me I could postpone my spot in the Pro Circuit and help out here, I was so excited! It's not like we'll never see each other again. We'll always be friends."

I nodded, flipped open my phone, and texted _I miss you too. Where are you?_

Peering over my shoulder, Fly clicked her tongue. "Is this about Edge?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…is all of this about Edge? Is he the one you miss?"

"I told you Fly, I miss it all! Including Edge. Especially Edge…I miss everything and everyone."

Fly stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Well, I have to go. See you in school tomorrow?"

I smiled. "Definitely"

Chapter Three

By Friday, our work load had been so huge, I hardly had any time to think about that feeling, let alone think about anything else! I started work when I got home around 3:00 and finished around 7. Then, I hit the water with Heath and Fly.

Saturday morning, I was woken up by Fly's voice. "Bec! Bec…Bec!" Then she shook me. "Rebecca Sanderson, up!"

"Fly," I said looking up at her bright face, "It's Saturday."

"That's right!" She looked proud. "and we've got a big day ahead of us." She stood up and brushed off her skirt. "C'mon. No more stuffing around, get ready."

"Ready for…"

"You'll see! Make sure you wear something nice, but casual. Not too sloppy, 'Kay?"

"Okay…"

She walked out. _Okay_. I told myself. This is going to be fun. You deserve this Bec, you've been working hard all week. I looked in the mirror at my tired reflection. C'mon! What's the deal? Bec Sanderson is strong; perseverant! She's a leader! I went to the sink and splashed my face, letting the cool water numb my emotions.

I pulled on my dark jean mini-skirt and my blue V-Neck shirt, and threw my hair into a neat pony tail. Then I started for Solar Blue. There were two new cars in the driveway. Whose were those? The Solar Blue van was missing, along with Deb's car. I went inside to find Fly.

The house was empty. "Hello? Fly? Where'd you go?"

I ran my fingers along the familiar edge of the kitchen counter top. "Hello?"

"She's pretty small, I don't know if you'd find her that easily," came a familiar voice from behind me. _Anna!_ I turned around and thrust my arms around the tall girl, standing just like when I first met her.

"Anna! What are you doing here?"

"Hi to you too," she laughed. "Fly thought it was time for a reunion."

I hugged her and hugged her, I just couldn't let go. Her accent had gotten even thicker, but her sense of humor was still completely intact, I saw.

"What, no hug for me?" came another familiar voice.

"Matt? You too?" I hugged him.

"Fly called us up. She wanted a little week get-together…reunion…sort of thing."

I turned to Anna. You flew all the way from Germany, to spend a week with us?"

"Yep! I'm crazy, right? What can I say; I'm a sucker for you guys."

Perri and Fly walked in through the porch door. "Hey," they called in unison.

"Oh my god, Guys." I laughed. "What are we going to do today? We are going to have so much fun!"

We all laughed and hugged.

"Oh wait Bec," Anna said looking out the window, "I believe there is one more person supposed to come…"

"Because you weren't here last week. " Perri bit her lip.

I gave her a confused look.

"Um, yeah!" laughed Fly nervously. "You'll never guess who visited last week…"

The porch door opened, and in walked that shaggy blonde. My shaggy blond, looking just as surprised as me. His hair was a bit shorter, he was a bit taller, and his eyes were as blue as the deepest ocean.

He looked around the room. "Matt! Perri! Anna! It's great to see you!" His eyes stopped at me. "Bec," he smiled.

We ran to each other and embraced. His familiar smell filled my nose. Edge held my hands in his and all we could do was smile at each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Matt take Perri's hand and Heath put his arm around Fly. I didn't care if they were all around. I missed this boy so much. Without a word, I stood on my toes and I kissed him.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too."

"Oye! And you all!" He laughed, giving everyone hugs. "Anna? You flew all the way from Germany?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just to see you all, what was I thinking?"

We all laughed.

Finally, that sadness faded. Finally, a new feeling emerged from the shallow depths.

"So guys, guess who's traveling Europe for half a year with the Sothern Kite boarding team?" Anna

asked, as she set the table for dinner.

"Hmm…I don't know. What do you think, Heath?" Matt joked.

"Oh. Hey! Maybe it's that weird girl. What's her name? Anna something."

"That's right!" Anna smiled proudly, "First girl excepted onto the team."

"Oh Anna, that's great. Congratulations."

We hung out in the kitchen, laughing, blasting music, enjoying our precious time together. I sat on the counter top, Edge next to me.

"So," Perri spoke up, "Where are Deb and Simmo?"

"And the Solar Blues?" Finished Matt

"Oh, um, they're away for a few days. Remember that wonderful campsite we stayed at last year for the girl's heat?"

Everyone groaned.

"Don't remind me Fly," said Anna, "Our tent stunk! And I got no sleep."

"Yeah, and somehow, I can't quite remember, I lost the heat because," Perri systematically whacked Edge in the shoulder, "Oh, that's right. _Someone_ put soap all over my board!"

Edge smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "Oye, at least someone didn't put a fish in your bag, alright?"

Matt and Heath burst into laughter and gave each other a high five. "Mate, it didn't smell as bad as that potpourri Jillie was constantly leaving around the house."

Night fell. After dinner, when Heath's endless playlist of _Catalyst_ finally ran out, we all segregated into our couples. Joe even came over to see Anna, although they were no longer together. Out on the patio, Edge and I leaned against the railings, speaking low.

"So," I started, "When did you even _get_ here?"

"I was here about a week or two ago, actually. You weren't here."

"You never told me you were coming." I pouted.

"It wasn't something I planned on doing. I decided at the last minute, and meant it to be a surprise, but when Fly told me you had gone to Perri's…well, I figured you'd want to spend time with your best friend and not rush here to see me."

We both went silent. Mindlessly, Edge traced circles with his finger on my forearm. In my head I was screaming, _just to see you? I would travel across seas just to see you_, but I kept quiet. All that mattered was that we were all together.

"Then I went home to see my folks…"

I didn't say anything.

"I quit, Bec."

"What do you mean? Quit what?"

"The Pro Circuit, I couldn't take it anymore."

"Quit? As in, you are no longer part of it?"

He nodded. I felt my jaw drop.

"Edge, why?"

"It was no fun. Comp after comp, party after party. It just wasn't all I thought it would be. I stopped caring about winning and stopped caring about the comps."

"Wow," I breathed. "That's so unlike you. Last year, you wouldn't let anything stand in your way of winning."

"You know Bec? The thing is, the competitions were fun. In the pro circuit there is no time for fun. You compete and then party." He smiled. "…and I hate parties."

I bit my lip. "Given up for good?"

"No way! I'm still surfing, every day. Still training, still doing everything I learned here. Surfing is still my life, just not in the Pro Circuit." The smile faded away from his face.

I gave him an encouraging smile. "Edge, it'll all work out."

"I know," he smiled down at me, "I just feel like a loser."

I sat up. "Is this Dean Edgely talking? What happened to, '_I preselected myself for winning',_ and '_I think like a winner because I am one_'?"

"Oh," he glared, "You're making fun of me now, eh?"

"Maybe," I giggled innocently.

"Alright, I see how it is. You'd better run."

And I did. I ran down the wooden steps and into the green grass, moistened with dew. He followed close behind. Finally, I was caught and we fell to the ground.

"Say you're sorry," he said, pinning me down.

"No!"

"Then suffer the consequences"

"No!"

With that, he leaned down, and before I could say another word, his lips were on mine. I smiled, looking up at him, still half laughing. Hand in hand, we walked back up the steps and into the house. The living room and kitchen were abandoned, the lights still on.

"Where is everyone?" I examined the mess we had made in our attempt to make dinner. Memories of last year came back. Matt's famous meat dish that we all thought was pudding, Heath's burgers. Most nights we just ordered take out when Deb and Simmo weren't around. We found Heath and Fly were in the Rec room; Fly sitting on the table and Heath playing a game of pool with himself.

"Well Fly, it looks like couple number one wins, the first to show up!" Heath mocked.

"Watch yourself Carroll," laughed Edge.

Joe and Anna walked in, talking animatedly.

"Oh, I didn't know we were having a party" said Joe, looking around at us.

I let go of Edge's hand and walked to the wall of the room, running my fingers up and down the painted designs. Fly was at my side.

"Memories, huh?"

"Oh yeah."

"Whenever I see that green swirl, I think of Perri flirting with that guy, and he just gave us all of that paint for free."

I laughed. "And then we had to scrub rocks for four hours."

Heath and Edge laughed.

"Oh, and then Edge almost got you killed!" Anna said. "I'd never seen him run so fast!"

"And the look on his face!" Heath spat. "What a killer."

"Ah, Heath. Have we already forgotten my warning?" Edge eyed him. "Watch yourself."

"Yeah, he left me at that damn buoy," I laughed, pointing to the yellow splotch on the wall I had painted last year.

Finally, Matt and Perri joined us. Our conversations took off in many different directions; the past, the future. Our voices filled the room, until Fly's mobile rang.

"Simmo, hi….Um…11:00….Yeah….really?...Okay, right…..bye." She looked up at us. "Time for bed!"

Of course Simmo called us to tell it was time for bed. Typical. There was only one problem. Where were we going to sleep?

"I guess I forgot about that part," giggled Fly.

"Can't we all sleep on the living room floor?" asked Perri.

"No way, if Jillie comes back and sees us, she'll freak!" warned Matt,

"How about boys in the living room, girls upstairs?" I suggested.

"Ah, just like my first co-ed slumber party," Heath sighed, Fly whacked him in the shoulder.

We said our goodbyes and headed to the appropriate places.

"Bec!" Perri squealed "It's our room!" She stood in the reminiscent doorway and smiled.

"I know, so many good times."

"So, which room should we sleep in?" asked Fly.

"Whichever one is neater…" Anna whispered.

"This one," we said in unison.

My sleeping bag still faintly smelled of camping last year. As I rolled it out across the floor next to Perri's my mind wandered. What would have happened if I never made it into Solar Blue?

"You don't actually think we are sleeping tonight, do you guys?" Asked Perri

Anna and Fly already had their heads down.

"C'mon! It's our first night all together in six months! We've got major stuff to do!"

We sat in a circle on the sleeping bags, doing nails, and talking about…things. Okay, talking about boys. It was people like us who gave girls the notorious reputation for their sleepovers.

"So Anna, " I started, blowing the nail polish on my left hand, "You and Joe seem to be just as good of friends as ever."

She blushed. "Yeah, we're having fun."

"Yeah," Perri said. "Fun"

"Go on," Fly encouraged.

"I don't know, I still care about him. He's a nice guy."

"But you live in Germany" I blurted.

The girls went silent.

"Oh no, Anna. That's not what I meant…it came out wrong…I'm sorry. I meant that…you weren't sure whether you wanted to be with him anymore because of the distance?" I made an "oops" face.

"It would never work. Too far away."

"Well, he still really likes you." I shrugged.

"Well anyways, what about you Fly? How are things with Heath?" Anna asked.

"What do you mean?" She sounded defensive. We all knew that Fly and Heath were never official, but they always had a thing for each other; a big thing. Some days they kissed, some days they completely ignored each other. We never knew what to think.

"We just meant…we wanted to know if you two were dating," explained Perri

"No! Why would you think that? Heath and I are just friends."

Perri clicked her tongue. "It seems like you've been "just friends" for a while now."

I gave her a stern look. "Fly, ignore her." I smiled.

But she didn't. "Look, Heath and I are and have always been _just_ friends. I'm not even into him. got it?"

"Got it" whispered Perri.

"And even if we weren't, and I was, it wouldn't change anything, because _he_ isn't into _me."_

"You kidding?" asked Anna, her voice flat.

"Not anymore at least."

I cleared my throat. "You and Matt, Perri?"

Her entire face grew into a huge grin. "Great."

There was a moment of silence. We were all just so happy to be there.

"Well," I said looking at my watch, "It's a bit late, and do you reckon we should…"

"Bec, you're not getting away that easily," said Fly, "We haven't heard about you and Edge yet!"

"Besides," said Perri, "It's not like we have to wake up at 5:30 and train, is it?"

I sighed. "Alright, alright. What do you want to know?"

The clanging of an alarm clock shot through our ears. Desperate to make the sound stop, I looked around the room until I found the source. _5:30 am._

"Ah!" Anna laughed, pulling the pillow over her ears.

I jumped up and smashed it until the sound stopped. We all lay back down…except Fly.

"Fly?" I asked a hint of desperation in my voice.

"You can't expect me to sleep. I get up this time everyday!"

Perri groaned.

"Wait, sshh. Do you hear that?" I whispered, sitting up.

"What?"

We listened in silence to muffled footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Maybe it's Jillie," said Anna.

"Ssh, pretend to be asleep!"

It was silent. I opened one eye, and standing in the door way were Edge, Heath, Joe & Matt, armed with…water guns! I shot up out of bed, and before I could say a word, we were all screaming as cold water pelted us in streams.

"Wake up call!" shouted Matt.

Finally, when the water ceased, Perri stood up, smiling her incredibly annoyed smile. "Run." She said sternly, daggers shooting out of her eyes. She picked up the broom in the corner of the room and aiming it at them, growled.

"Uh oh, we angered the diva." said Heath.

With that, Perri lunged and attacked them. They ran down the stairs, we followed. After twenty minutes, we were all soaked.

Laughing, the seven of us ran down to the ocean and jumped in, the salt stinging our skin.

"Guys, look at these waves! We forgot our boards," I said

"Oh well," Matt shrugged, "Let's just enjoy this."

"Wait, where are Heath and Fly?" asked Edge

Looking around, we didn't see them.

"Weren't they with us two seconds ago?" Anna asked

"Apparently not"

"Well, I think we have pretty much the same idea of what they are doing right now…" Matt trailed off. Anna, Perri and I exchanged glances.

We swam in the bittersweet ocean waters for a bit over a half an hour. Freezing now, we got out.

"Aw, cold Matt?" Edge laughed, seeing him shiver. "How about a little something to warm you up? Like…a race maybe?"

"Matt narrowed his eyes. You're on, first one back to the house."

With that they took off up the shore, leaving firm prints in the sand.

Anna, Perri, & I laughed, and paced our way to the top of the hill, looking forward to warm clothes to change into.

"Hey girlies," Fly said, "How was the swim?"

"Fly!" Perri yelled

"Yes?"

"Where were you?" She demanded.

"When?"

"Fly…"

"Nowhere. Just with…"

"Heath," I finished. "What were you doing?"

"Talking."

Anna snorted. "About what?"

"Oh you know, this and that."

She snorted again.

It was abundantly clear that we weren't going to get it out of her.

By noon, the sky was a low underlying gray an cold rain poured from the clouds.

We all sat in a row out on the balcony, our backs against the sliding glass door. The rain hit the tin roof and splashed across our feet.

"Well," I cleared my throat, breaking the silence, "Are we content to sit here and stare at nothing, or should we do something?"

"What's there to do in Sydney when it rains?" Matt sighed.

Perri's eye twinkled with that familiar look I knew; she had an idea. "Bec"

"Hm?"

"The formal is coming up this week, right?"

I opened my mouth, but no words escaped. _Oh No!_ I thought, remembering my friend Mitch had already asked me to the formal and I had said yes. We were just going as friends after all…but now…_oh god_, now they were all here.

"Eh, formal?"

Perri rolled her eyes. "You know the major dance you only get to go to twice in your life, and the dance that you happen to be on the committee for every year?"

I was caught. "Oh, that formal."

"Yeah, that formal." She winked.

"What about it?" asked Heath, "If my memory serves me correctly, it wasn't fantastic last year."

"I know!" Anna cut in, "Joe stood me up!" She flicked his arm playfully.

"No, I'm talking about nearly breaking my hand on Edge's face." Heath frowned.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Why don't we have some ballroom dancing classes?" Perri stood up and offered her hand to me.

"Perri?"

"C'mon. It'll be fun."

"It's a formal. Do you even do ballroom dancing at a formal?" asked Edge

"Yeah, and since when do you know how to ballroom dance?" I asked.

She gasped and pretended to be offended, "I, since the age of three have been taking ballroom dancing classes!"

How she got us all to follow her inside I will never know. That's just the thing about Perri. When she has an idea, she'll make sure you think it's great.

"No Fly, it's 1,2,3, twirl."

"Sorry!" said Fly, "I surf, I don't dance."

Perri groaned. "You people are hopeless!" She shook her head, stomped over to Matt, and pulled his hand around her waist. "Let's go."

"Uh, Perri, don't the guys usually lead?" Matt laughed.

"They lead when they know what they are doing!" She poked his side.

Edge, Heath, Joe, and I sat on the couch watching Anna and Fly stomp and slide across the oak floor.

"Remember people, keep your chins up!" she said gleaming.

"Oh my god." Heath sighed.

"Doesn't waste any time, does she?" I said, blowing hair out of my face.

The front door creaked open.

"Hey Bec, I'm…" Jilly started before looking around.

"Jillie! Everyone called in unison.

"Well, you lot! What're you doing here?"

They all hugged and while the others hung out in the Rec room, I helped her in the kitchen.

"Well, what a nice surprise, hey? All of them being here," Jillie smiled. "I just hope Deb and Simmo don't mind. How long are they staying?"

I shrugged. "I think until next Saturday."

"When the solar blues come back, where are they staying?"

"Good point!" I laughed. "Hm, it's unlike Fly to forget something like that."

Jillie laughed. "Well, call her in here; let's get this settled before they get home on Tuesday."

I stood in the doorway, and watched for a minute. Heath and Edge were playing pool against Matt. Perri was blabbing on and on to them about…the butterflies in my stomach beat their wings…the formal.

"Fly," I interrupted, "Jillie wants to talk to you."

Fly nodded, hopped down off the window sill and walked past.

"So, what's going on?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

"Well Bec, if you must know," Heath started and put his head down. "We were just kind of talking about you."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. We've decided that…you need to be on Matt's team because he sucks at this game!"

We all laughed.

"I don't need help! I can do it!" He laughed

"Thanks guys, love to, but I have a date with the hot oven." I winked.

Edge followed me out. "Bec,"

I turned around.

"You okay?" he took my hands in his.

_Why wouldn't I be?_ I asked myself. _Am I acting upset? Is something wrong?_ "Yeah, I'm fine." I gave him a reassuring smile. "Just tired."

"Alright," He gave me a quick kiss and went back in.

"I'm sorry, Jillie! I just forgot about it!"

Fly and Jillie were in the kitchen arguing over, what I was guessing the subject of where we would stay.

"Fly, when Deb and Simmo find out,"

"It'll be fine. We'll figure it out."

"Jillie," I cut in, "What about we stay in two of the spare rooms?"

Jillie scrunched her mouth. "Those rooms are not covered by insurance. If anything happens to them, vandalism or accidental breakage of any sort, Solar Blue is responsible and has to pay."

"So why do we have them if we don't use them?"

"Because Fly, Solar Blue used to be a surf academy for twenty plus kids at a time. But after a while it was too much, so now those rooms are purely for emergencies."

"Aw, come on Jillie. Please! We'll be good. You'll never know we were there."

"Hm, alright. But if Simmo asks…"

"I know, I know," Said Fly, "We're staying at Bec's house.

"He all, who's up for a bit of night surf?" Heath spoke from the doorway.

"I'm in!" I said excitedly.

"Me too! Will we rock or will we rock?" said Perri

I threw my hair up into a messy bun, and pulled my wetsuit over my head, still sticky and damp with sea salt. I located the nearest bag I could and shoved my cell phone, my towel, and a change of clothes into it.

"Bye mom!" I called out the front door. "I'm staying at solar blue again for the night!"

The sun was just setting, and the streets were abandoned. I walked past houses, televisions flickered inside. The rain finally let up, but its moisture still hung in the air.

When I made it to Solar Blue, the sun had almost disappeared and melted into the horizon. A shadow moved by the door.

"Fly?" I asked.

"Hey! Ready?" She bubbled

"Yeah, yeah. Um, I just wanted to say thank you! It means so much to me, really."

She smiled and she put her arm around me as we walked down the beach towards the others. "I know. It means a lot to all of us Bec."

"Hey!" a shadow called from the waves, "It's freezing!"

Two figures ran to the beach from the waves, I made them out to be Perri and Anna.

Heath ran up to us. "Do not go in there, its freezing! Much colder than usual."

I laughed and looked out at the water. "Is that…Edge and Matt?"

"Yeah!" he laughed, "They're having a competition to see who can stand it the longest."

"Are you kidding?" Fly sounded angry. "That is so dangerous! They could get hypothermia!"

"Chill Fly," Heath put his arm around her. "They're hearts are already cold." He clenched his fist dramatically.

I turned and went to find Perri. She and Anna were huddled together on a towel, watching Edge and Matt shivering.

"Perri"

"Yeah, I know. Boys will be boys."

"We should do something, this is stupid."

She stood up, and brushed the sand off of herself. "I've got an idea. We'll distract them. Follow." She grabbed my arm and led me towards the water.

"Guys," we called to the waves, "This is ridiculous, it's freezing!"

They just laughed.

"Ready?" asked Perri

"Ready, let's distract them."

"Help!" Perri yelled. "There's a fire in the kitchen!"

The guys didn't move, and we were freezing!

"Alright, fine." Perri mumbled, "Play it like that."

She paddled over to them; grabbed Matt in her arms, and kissed him.

"Perri!" he laughed, when he realized that she had led him out of the water in their kiss, "You made me lose!"

She laughed and they walked out of the frozen surf together.

Edge paddled over to me. "Cold?"

"Freezing!" I shivered.

"Haha, let's go in."

"No!"

He turned around. "Why not?"

"I can't feel my feet." I laughed.

"Why, that's no problem at all, Madam!" With that, he scooped me up in his arms, and carried me back to shore.

The next morning, Fly and I had to wake up at 6:30, sneak past the other girls and get ready for school. We closed the bathroom door behind us, and I pulled out a green t-shirt and my dark washed skinny jeans.

There was a knock at the door. "Bec? Fly? That you?"

It was Jillie. "Yep!"

"Good, just making sure."

"Fly, should I wear my hair up or down today?"

"Hmm," she tucked a lose strand of blonde hair behind her ear and examined my messy side braid. "Down, definitely. Wait, why?" She eyed me suspiciously.

"No reason…"

When the clock read 7:30, we snuck down stairs and ran out the back door.

Joe caught me on our way in to school. "Hey Bec, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you think, I don't know, do you think Anna would go with me to the formal on Wednesday if I asked her?"

I hesitated. "Joe, I'm not sure. She does live in Germany, and you two aren't really…_together _anymore."

"I know," he sighed. "…just as friends though."

"Joe," I smiled, "I'm sure she'd say yes. Go for it."

I had bigger problems though! Finally, Edge was here and I had told Mitch I would go to the formal with him.

"Just tell Mitch your boyfriends back in town." Said Fly

"I would, it's just, Mitch…"

"Mitch…"

"Mitch's got major self-esteem issues. I don't want to make him feel bad. He'll assume I'm not going with him because I don't want to be seen with him.

"Well, I guess you could always tell Edge that you already promised someone."

At that moment, Mitch was at his locker.

Fly gave me a stern look.

I frowned and walked over.

"Mitch, hey."

"Oh, hey Bec. How ya going?" He shook his curly brown hair out of his face.

"Fine, but listen, about the formal? I…uh, I uh won't be going."

"Aw, why?"

"I…I'll be visiting a cousin in Melbourne."

"It's cool. I understand."

"Cool. See ya!" I felt the blood rush to my face and pulse beneath my cheeks as I turned around. _Bec, you idiot!_ I thought.

With my head down, I walked back over to Fly.

"Well?"

"I'm not going to the formal." I shrugged and smiled nervously.

The school day went out like a light, and Fly and I rushed, eager to get back to Solar Blue.

"So Fly," I said between strides, "What happened with Heath?"

She laughed. "You all are so nosey!"

I smiled.

"Nothing, we decided that we are better off as friends."

"That's it? No details?"

She shook her head.

"And…you are okay with this?"

"Yeah, Sure! I mean, talk about a weight lifted off your shoulders."

Solar Blue loomed in the distance. As we got closer, my stomach lurched. What would I tell the others? That I wasn't going to the formal. It wasn't even that big of a deal.

"Bec! Fly! Just in time, Anna and I are heading out dress shopping, want to come?"

Fly nudged me.

"Yeah, sure." I said. It would be a good time to talk to them.

"Wait, so we're definitely going then?" Heath groaned, "…to the formal?"

"We don't even go to Blue Water anymore, Perri" whined Matt.

"C'mon guys! Our formal was ruined last year. We'll have fun. Please? It's like, the last time all of us will be together again."

"Fine," said Heath

"Alright." said Matt.

"Where's Edge?" asked Fly.

"Surfing," said Matt, "We were all too exhausted."

"What colour suits me better girls, the blue or the red?" Perri asked, holding two different dresses up in the mirror.

"I like the red," Anna said.

"Likewise," I said.

"Fly?"

"Hmm?" Fly was admiring a beautiful purple dress hanging on the rack.

"Ooh, that's pretty, Fly." I said enthusiastically. "I bet Heath will like that." I knew I said the wrong thing, because Fly turned beat red and glared at me.

"Bec!"

"Sorry…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a green dress. I lifted it off the rack, and the silky fabric flowed across my arm.

"Bec, try that on right now! It's gorgeous!"

So I did. I breathed deeply and looked in the mirror. The dress was emerald green and lined with green beaded silk. It had thin spaghetti straps and went down to about my kneecaps, where it billowed out.

"Okay, don't laugh. I'm coming out."

"Bec!"

"Bec that is gorgeous! Please buy it!" whined Anna.

I bit my lip and looked at Fly. "The thing is guys, I'm not going to the formal."

Perri cocked her head to one side. "Why not?"

I told them the story.

"But Bec, Edge…all the guys…we're all together, you have to come!"

"I was just planning on telling them I wasn't feeling well."

"Bec, just ring Mitch's mobile and tell him the truth." Stated Fly.

"Wait, _Mitch?_" asked Perri, "_Mitch Moulton?"_

I nodded.

She had a pained expression. "That's a bit hard to do with Mitch, Fly."

I sighed. Even Perri agreed with me. I couldn't go to the formal. I couldn't tell Mitch the truth.

When we got back, we were greeted by the Surf team back from their camping trip, and snuck past Deb and Simmo to get upstairs. In our room, Perri, Anna, and Fly hung their dresses in the closet and babbled on and on about a new surf shop down on Main Street.

A quick tap averted our eyes to the door. Edge stood, looking casual.

"Bec," He smiled, "Can I have a word?"

I followed him to the hallway. "I was wondering if, and don't feel obliged to, but seeing how I didn't last year…"

"Edge?"

"Will you go to the formal with me?"

I shook my head and laughed…and then remembered. "Edge, I-"

"Bec! In here, now!" cried Fly, pulling me by the arm.

"Fly! What?"

"Look at Mitch's status on Facebook."

_**Mitch Moulton**__ can't go to the formal, sickkkk. _

I don't know who seemed happier, Fly or me.

Edge came into the room. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

I nodded.

I stared into the mirror at myself, covered in the emerald green fabric. "Well, what do you think?" I asked Anna.

She gave me a thumbs up. "Gorgeous."

"Just missing one thing though, Bec." Said Perri. She came over, concentrating. "Oh," She pulled my hair out of the bun it was in and messily arranged it around my shoulders. "Perfect."

I smiled.

Fly poked her head in the doorway. "Do I dare come in?"

"Yes!" we all shouted.

"Don't laugh!" She opened the door nervously, and shrugged.

"Fly!" squealed Perri.

"You look amazing!" finished Anna.

"Really nice, Fly." I smiled.

Fly looked surprised. "You think?"

We nodded.

"Well, not as pretty as you all look, but it'll do." She winked.

We admired each other and ourselves in the mirror.

"Alright Ladies, ready?" Asked Perri.

We followed her down the stairs, and the guys were already there. My eyes flickered around the room, and stopped at Edge. He was smiling.

"Well, girlies. You all look lovely." Heath smiled.

Anna pulled him off to the side. Perri and I noticed, but Fly didn't seem to. Keeping our mouths shut, Perri went to Matt and I went to Edge.

He took my hand and smiled. "You look…"

I rolled my eyes sarcastically and smiled. "Thanks."

He took me into his warm embrace and we stood like that for a minute or two. It was hard to believe they were leaving in a few days. Almost unbearable to believe.

Perri and I linked eyes and she nodded her head over to Anna and Heath.

I shrugged, and mouthed "_What's going on?"_

Finally, looking annoyed, Anna stomped away and walked over to Joe. Heath trailed behind, head down.

"Alright, let's go!" Perri laughed.

"Again, we all followed her back outside, where the Solar Blues were. The girls all looked beautiful.

"Mind if we join you?" asked Fly

Rachel held out her arm and gave Fly a big hug. "We missed you!"

"Alright, you lot." Simmo's voice sounded. "I'll bring the Solar Blues first and then come back for the ….others."

"Ahem," Said Heath

"We prefer previous Solar Blues."

Simmo rolled his eyes and the SBs piled into the van.

"Be right back," Heath gasped. "Forgot my camera!"

It was the perfect chance.

Perri pulled Anna aside. "Anna! What did you say to him?"

She looked confused.

"To Heath? What were you two talking about." I demanded.

She looked at me. "What do you think?"

"Fly."

She nodded.

"And?" Perri prodded.

"I told him to look at how beautiful Fly looked tonight. He said he wanted to ask her, but they agreed to just be friends."

We gestured for more information.

"He thinks that Fly wants to be friends, he wants to be more than that. So…I called him an idiot and walked away."

"Anna!" I said

"What would you have done?"

"Called him an idiot and walked away…" I sighed.

Heath returned and finally Simmo's van pulled back into the driveway. "Ready?" he called out the window.

I took Edge's hand, and we walked over together.

_Faker_ blasted through the room, bright, loud, and filled with people.

"Whoo!" Heath yelled, "This is my kind of music!"

We all laughed at him, and entered the energetic crowd.

"Bec! Heads up!" Fly cut through the mob.

"What?"

"Mitch is here."

My eyes grew wide.

She shook her head. "I'll distract him."

She slinked away, and the vibe of the room changed. Perri and I stopped dancing, as it slowed to a calm beat and a tender melody.

Edge's hands slid to my waist and he pulled me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, unable to stop smiling. We spoke quietly, but every word had meaning. Once in a while, I would glance over his shoulder, skimming the crowd for Mitch. When I found him, he was slow dancing with Fly. Then I located Heath leaning against the wall, looking a bit upset.

"So, Saturday you're all leaving." I said, looking into his eyes.

He nodded. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

I nodded, and waited.

Before he could say a word, the music changed to _Catalyst_. The crowd roared. I had a feeling Heath was behind it.

He laughed and shook his head.

I smiled and mouthed _later._

Fly made her way through the screaming teenagers. "Bec, conference now!" She pulled me towards the back. "I can't keep stalling him."

"Ah, Fly, you're doing a great job!"

"Bec."

I sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. Thank you, though. At least I could get one slow dance in."

"Yeah, me too!" she winked.

"Well, I hope you have time for another." I nodded over to Heath, still against the wall. "Fly, he cares about you."

She looked down. "I know, and I care about him. I'm just…"

"Scared?"

"Yes."

I touched her arm. "You have no reason to be."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay," and taking a deep breath, she confirmed, "the next slow song."

"Good."

When I made it back to Perri, Matt & Edge, someone called my name. I flinched and turned around, recognizing the voice.

"Mitch," I smiled

He wasn't. "Thought you weren't coming."

"I –I" I was caught. "I wasn't. But…at the last minute, my plans were cancelled."

"Oh, you're here alone then?"

"Um, no." I answered, sensing Matt, Perri & Edge listening behind me.

He glanced behind me at the guys, looked back at me, shook his head and walked away.

"What was that about?" asked Edge.

"Nothing, he's just a school friend." I looked at Perri.

Another slow song came on.

"Now," Edge whispered, watching couples conform across the dance floor, "Maybe we can talk?"

I nodded, and once again wrapped my arms around his neck.

"So I was thinking about what happens after this Saturday."

I bit my lip. "What does happen after Saturday?"

He stared into my eyes, not saying anything. A smile appeared in the corner of his mouth, and he leaned down and kissed me. "I think we should talk about it later, you know, just enjoy the moment. _This _moment. If it's one thing I've learned, it's to live the moment."

The next two hours of my life disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Half way through the formal, on the third slow song of the night, Mitch confronted me, pulling me to the side mid-dance.

"Bec,"

"Yes?"

"Why did you lie to me?"

I closed my eyes. "Mitch, I didn't mean it. I didn't want you to be hurt for no reason."

"…and the reason was?"

"My boyfriend was in town," I answered, quoting Perri, though it didn't really sound like something I would say.

"Oh!" his face lightened. "The one from the academy? The Pro Circuit one?"

"The very same…" I laughed.

"No way. That's great, Bec. I just…I don't get why you had to lie to me." He took my hands in his, in an encouraging and friendly way.

By the time I finished explaining, I could tell Mitch and I were cool again. I gave him a hug and turned back toward my friends. Making eye contact with Perri, she gave me a concerned expression.

"What's going on?" I smiled, looking around at several apologetic faces.

I looked around the circle, until I came to Edge. He wasn't smiling. He shook his head, and slowly walked out.

"Edge!" I said.

"Bec…he saw what happened between you and Mitch." Perri twirled a piece of hair around her finger nervously.

"And what was that?" I felt confused and upset. What was going on?

"Bec," Heath gave me a stern look, a _don't pretend you don't know_, look.

"What?" I looked around at them. "You…he…you… think I'm _dating_ him."

"Well," Anna chewed her lip, "Bec, he was holding your hands, you were talking really intimately, and you gave him a hug, I mean it looked…"

"You're kidding me!" I threw my arms in the air. "Let's get one thing straight," I whined, "Mitch…he's a really good friend. That's it."

"He seemed to think you were a bit more than just friends." Matt sighed.

"Edge or Mitch?"

"Uh…both?" Heath added.

I turned around to face the exit.

"Bec," cooed Fly, "Don't worry about him. Talk to him in the morning. I think you need to enjoy the formal and have some fun. It's been a long day."

I nodded. "Okay."

As the last slow song of the night began trickling through the speakers, I took Fly's arm despite her protests and lead her over to Heath.

"Alright you two," I giggled when I saw the way they looked at each other. "Talk, dance, kiss."

"Bec!" Fly scorned me playfully.

I shrugged innocently and left them alone, positioning myself against the wall watching everyone. _You really screwed up, Bec, _I told myself.

After ensuring that Fly made it into Heath's arms for the last dance, I went outside to get some air.

The girl's rooms at Solar Blue were abandoned. Guessing they were out surfing, I collapsed onto the bed and I closed my eyes, only able to picture last night. That's it. I couldn't take this weirdness anymore. We hadn't spoken two words to each other. I got myself up and walked down the hallway to the guy's room. The door was open, and Catalyst blasted out.

I stood in the doorway and knocked. "Hey guys."  
"Bec!" greeted Matt.  
"Uh, Matt. Why don't we go see what the girls are up to, eh?"  
Matt nodded and followed Heath out the door.  
It was just Edge and I now.  
"Hi" he said.  
"Hi." I sat down next to him on the bed.  
"So...when is this weirdness between us going to end?" I didn't look at him.  
He sighed. "You tell me, Bec."  
"Edge," I stopped. "You don't understand. It wasn't what it looked like."  
"It didn't look like much."  
"What?"

"Matt told me."

"Edge, I'm sorry I lied. I had to."

"Bec," he silenced me, "You don't have to explain- It just - I've just… been thinking."

I studied the floor.  
"I mean, this is the first time we've seen each other in six months. And now what? I go back to Melbourne, and you stay here. When will we see each other, once a month?"  
I didn't say anything, but I wondered how the conversation changed so quickly.  
"And it's not like I can control you."  
"You don't really think I'm dating him, do you?"  
"I don't know. Bec, I still care about you. A lot...but six months is a long time, and it is your life."  
"Edge, no." I shook my head. "We're just friends, good friends. He trusts me. He may like me, but we were only going as mates. There is no one." I played with my ring, letting my hair fall and create a screen between us. "No one, except this one guy, this amazing, shaggy blonde who apparently, I really stuffed things up with."  
He smiled. "I hope this guy is me, because I don't need any more competition."  
I smiled back. "Edge, trust me. Mitch is just a friend. I didn't want to tell him that I was going with someone else, he has...self esteem issues. So, I lied. Embarrassing, but I admit it. Then, everything fell apart." I put my hand on his, in sort of an apologetic way. "You mean a lot to me."

More awkward silence.

"I've been thinking about the same things…about where we're going, and how it's going to work." I sighed.  
He nodded. "I don't want it to end, I just…"  
"I know."  
"At this point, I'm not sure where we're going. I don't know if we should..."  
My face pounded. "What is it about formals? They always seem to tear us apart."  
He laughed. "Maybe they don't like us."  
Suddenly, I felt like I was imprisoned with no escape. Twisting my ring on my finger, I swallowed hard. "Edge, if you feel that way I understand. I do." I stood up, and collected my thoughts.

He looked deep in thought, and didn't say a word.  
"I guess that's that then." I looked back at him as I was half way out the door. "I'll see you around."

"Bec, wait no," I heard him say, but I didn't wait. I ran out of that room as fast as I could, out the front door, down the street. I burst through the front door of my house, plummeted up the stairs and stopped for a moment in the doorway of my bedroom. I closed my eyes, and collapsed into sobs. _Well Bec Sanderson, you stuffed it up again._

I woke up Friday morning in my own bed. It took me a minute to realize where I was. Trudging to the bathroom, I stared myself down in the mirror. _Fool._ I turned on the shower, hoping to scrub away yesterday.

Once I stepped out, my mobile buzzed from my bedroom.

I got to it too late; _One Missed Call: Perri_. Shaking, I dialed the number, and wrapped in my towel, sat on the bed.

"Bec!" Perri answered.

"What's up?"

"Where were you last night? You just disappeared."

"Uh, my mum wanted me home…family thing."

"The real reason?"

"Perri, there is no real reason…I just came home to grab a few things and got caught up."

"…"

"Perri?"

"You'll tell me when you're ready. Well, get over here!"

I laughed, clicked the mobile off, and got to work on brushing the wet knots out of my hair. I was forced back to my thoughts. My stomach clenched.

"Alright, now the gang's all here!" Matt called, seeing me walk in.

"What's our plan, guys?" Perri asked.

"Bec, you're the local, what do you reckon?" Heath asked.

I tore my eyes away from Edge, who I could feel watching me every time I looked away…and I'm sure it was vice versa. "Hey, you all lived here for a year too!" I joked

"True," said Fly, "How about we…surf."

Of course we ended up surfing. It was our lives. Perri caught me on our way down the beach toward the water.

'You two broke up, didn't you?"

My initial reaction was to shake my head, but I felt paralysis. I just looked at her.

She gave me a hug. "it's okay, Bec. Come on, surf it out and we'll talk later."

The rest of the day went just okay. When we weren't surfing, we hung out on the beach, watched movies, made messes of the kitchen, and every time I hung around Fly, while Matt, Perri, Joe and Anna segregated into couples. I glanced at Edge briefly while we were in the kitchen cooking dinner, only to find him doing the same. Thankfully, my brain was working, and I looked away as quickly as I could, acting as if nothing was wrong. Everyone knew something was up.

Saturday. This was the day that my best friends in the world were leaving. I sat up in my bed at Solar Blue and glanced at the sleeping bodies. I would miss them. The alarm clock read 5:45 am. Groaning, I rolled back into bed and squeezed my eyes shut. _Don't think,_ I breathed to myself. It was unsuccessful, of course. Finally, in a blur of worry and sadness, I drifted back. Perri woke me around 6:00. The others were still sleeping. She put a finger to her lips and motioned for me to follow her. I did.

The two of us sat on the windy beach in perfect silence.

"Perri? Did you want to talk about something?"

She shrugged. "It's our last day together, Bec."

I rested my head on her shoulder. "But it won't be our _last_."

When the sky got light, we headed back inside, snuck up the stairs, and awoke Fly and Anna with one last good pillow fight.

Around noon, everyone was packed up and ready to go. The goodbyes seemed to last forever; I just couldn't let go of these friends. I glanced around the room. The vibe was slowly deteriorating along with our joys. Giving each other big hugs, we all laughed and enjoyed our last few minutes together. When I came to Edge, all I could do was smile and nod my head. He did the same. We both were slightly uncomfortable.

Finally, Fly and I watched the cars drive away one by one, and we both burst into tears.

Sunday, the academy was empty. Fly and I hadn't moved out of the room yet, afraid our memories would move out as well. I went out surfing, and my mobile rang back at the academy.  
"Uh...Bec's phone," Fly answered.  
"Fly? Shit. Where is Bec?"  
"Edge? I don't know, out surfing. What're you...?"  
"Fly, I need your help."  
"Edge...?"  
"I need you to stall Bec. Do something, take her to the movies."  
"Edge, what is going on?"  
"I can't just let her _go_, Fly!"  
Fly went silent, laughing to herself.

"Are you always this impulsive?"  
"Yes. Wait…I stuffed up. I _need _to see her. Just...have her back by six, okay?"  
Fly laughed not sounding sure. "Okay..."

After a long surf session, Fly and I walked down the beach together.

Checking the time, she absent mindedly said, "The swell was awesome today!"

"I know, what a rush."

"Wow, hey, it's almost six. I should get back."

"Yeah, me too."

"Hey, when you get changed, meet me at the Academy, okay? They're out for the night."

"Sure, sure."

We split; I headed for my house, Fly for Solar Blue. Half way to my house, I realized something; my mobile was on the kitchen counter in Solar Blue.

Annoyed, I ran back.

I opened the door, and sprinted to the counter. "Fly? I'll be right back, I-"

Edge stood in the living room. He held a red rose in his hand.

"Edge?"

"I was thinking Bec, if we can't _go_ to a formal without getting torn apart, we should just have our own." He walked towards me and stopped. "That is, if you'll go with me."

I couldn't speak. All I could do was take the rose that he held out to me.

"Bec, I'm sorry, I stuffed up. I never should have thought…well, I never should of…"

I shook my head, silencing him. "Edge, it wasn't your fault. It was-"

"No," he cut me off. "Like I said, I stuffed up. But," he paused and looked down. "I'm not going to stuff this up. I love you."

I bit my lip in attempt to suppress my smile, and looked down at myself. I was in my wet orange swim suit, covered in sand from the shore, hair a mess and surf board under my arm. That didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the moment. _This_ moment. _Live this moment._

Finally, when I could form the words, I looked up at him, and saw the ocean waves in his blue eyes. "Well," I said, my smile surfacing, "Six months is a long time, but…it is your life."

He pulled me into his warm embrace and kissed me. It was that kiss, gentle and dreamy, that pushed me over the edge.


End file.
